REAP-Canada Western China Agro-Ecological Village Development Officer Claudia Ho Lem (left) conducting survey of villagers in China

AEV Activities

1. Establish and build the capacity of farmer's organizations organizations utilizing participatory rural appraisals, participatory monitoring and evaluation, and other processes and support gender development for all project activities.
2. Train farmer trainers on Agro-Ecological farming methods, establish a farmer-to-farmer training network and develop localized training modules to support the development of ecological farming systems and assist communities in the development and implementation of ecological farm plans
3. Establish learning farms/gardens and participatory on-farm research to improve the plant material base and introduce improved plant varieties of vegetables, field crops, grasses and tree species, and develop ecological farming practices such as indigenous knowledge systems, intercropping, sustainable livestock management, agro-forestry and appropriate technologies.

There are five major project activities in the implementation of the Agro-Ecological Village Development Model:

1. Baseline data gathering and surveys/case studies: This information provides the background for measuring progress in a community and provides an initial assessment of the local situation. Data is gathered from a representative subset of households per community and includes information related to income sources, food systems, farm production, energy use, health and gender issues.

Posters in local language to sensitize locals of the AEV concept

2. Institutional Building Process: A number of approaches can be taken to enhance community awareness and organization.

Sensitization: Communities can become more aware and understanding of their local situation through a process of sensitization and exposure by community organizers.

Participatory Rural Appraisal and Action Planning (PRA & PAP): To begin a more systematic understanding of the development needs of communities, a process of community self-examination can be undertaken by people with experience in group facilitation. PRA facilitators can use tools such as resource mapping, seasonal calendars, Venn diagrams, transect walks and mobility maps to deepen the beneficiaries understanding of their villages and individual farm situation and develop appropriate solutions through project activities.

Participatory monitoring and evaluation workshop with farmer trainers and community members in Gansu, China

Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E): Similar to conventional approaches, PM&E is used to measure changes resulting from specific interventions. The main difference is that in a participatory approach, stakeholders who are directly or indirectly involved in a program take part in selecting the indicators to measure changes, in collecting information, and in evaluating findings.

Community Organizers: Local people with effective interpersonal skills need to groundwork the project with beneficiaries. This may involve the investment of significant energy in the community and working with key community leaders who can collectively break apathetic attitudes that may exist.

Strengthening Farmers' Organizations and Networks: One strategy of the Agro-Ecological Village development model is to empower and more effectively use existing farmer organizations and community groups. The main aspects of the capacity building process shall be:

• Increasing farmers' capacity through trainings using participatory approaches to analyse their local environment and apply ecological principles to their farming methods
• Institutionalize approaches of mutual learning, support and information exchange within the community (local)
• Institutionalize approaches to network information and experiences outside the community (regional and national)

3. Capacity Building and Training: Capacity building exercises aim to empower locals to take a lead role in their own development process.

Farmer to Farmer Training: Fundamental to this approach is to develop experienced farmer trainers to lead training sessions. These individuals are progressive farmers and will develop a sound understanding and skills in ecological farming, understanding of social and ecological issues and effective organizational and facilitation skills. Through this participatory peer education approach, trainers and farmer students are continuously being developed, and groups are kept small as farmers are exposed to a diversity of farmer trainers and issues.

Farm Planning: Following the introductory training in ecological farming, the farmers go through a basic farm planning process. This provides them with an opportunity to better assess their goals and objectives and to do a more systematic planning to achieve their targets.

Gender Strategy: The AEV model engages women as effectively as possible in program design, delivery, and evaluation. It encourages innovative community organizing and capacity building in women to take active roles to improve their quality of life.

Participatory Training Workshop in Gansu, China	Women demonstrating improved potato hoe that speeds hoeing and reduces labour strain

Developing a new farm plan can be an empowering experience

Food Footprint: The Food Footprint Analysis is a simple and effective tool that provides a relevant and clear representation of household food consumption. The Food Footprint quantifies the amount of land required to grow the household food requirements and is helpful in assessing food security.

Leopoldo Guilaran of PABINHI with a new eco-rice he has developed through on-farm breeding

4. Field Level Implementation: The model ensures the execution of individual farm plans, employing on-the-ground activities to increase farmers' understanding and capacities to meet their objectives.

Learning Farms: "Learning Farms" can be established in each community to help increase farmers' confidence and experience in ecological farm development. These farms utilize several approaches to introducing ecological farming to communities and can include:

• Adaptability trials
• Testing new crops
• Demonstration of (EFS) Ecological Farming Systems (contouring, composting, intercropping, multiple cropping, green manures, soil fertility management etc.)
• Soil and water conservation (windbreaks, checkdams, drip irrigation)
• On-farm plant breeding
• Seed bank (living gene bank) and plant material multiplication (tree nursery)
• Appro-tech (farm equipment, on-farm energy management)
• Livestock (new varieties, sustainable fodder production)
• Weatherproofing farms (reducing vulnerability to vagaries of the weather)

Success in a potato adaptability trial. Mr. Cheng and the weishu potato

These farms are coordinated by farmer trainers or other interested farmers that are willing to share their experiences and ideas with others. The learning approach encourages the exchange and progression of ideas and the constant observation and assessment by the farmer trainer and others in the community.

Appropriate technology equipment: Through the PRA process, communities can largely identify their most urgent and basic technological needs. They can also be slowly exposed to new technologies from outside the region. An assessment can be made of various options that are available to meet their needs and to gradually work with communities to assess the more promising options and further improve them.

Microcredit Programs: Credit should be the least emphasized component of a development orientation towards greater self reliance. After a community is sufficiently organized, credit programs can be provided to members based on their farm plans. Emphasis can be made on providing loans for tangible assests such as basic farm tools and animals for draft power as opposed to seed or fertilizer which are quickly utilized.

5. Communications and Public Engagement: Development impacts will continue to be shared with others in the development community, both in the host country and abroad, so that any lessons learned may be applied elsewhere. The general public will be made increasingly aware of the project, promoting a better understanding of North-South issues and increasing support for international development.

Click here to view a powerpoint presentation on the AEV Model!

Learn more about:

• AEV Model
• AEV in the Philippines
• AEV in China
• AEV in the Gambia

(C) 2004 REAP-Canada